Each year we break down the top 25 players based not solely on NFL Draft stock, but on college performance and pro potential. If this were based on NFL measureables only, Manziel wouldn’t be in the Top 20—and we’d have to take a longer, harder look at South Carolina's Clowney, too.

Don’t believe it? Watch last year’s Outback Bowl and see what happened when Clowney went head-to-head against an elite left tackle.

Michigan’s Taylor Lewan clearly got the best of Clowney, and at times dominated the best defensive player in the college game.

Not only is Clowney behind Manziel, he also trails the most exciting player in the game and the game’s next big star. And as far as pure production, Clowney can’t touch what defensive tackle Will Sutton did last year at Arizona State.

Maybe Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops was right after all with that SEC propaganda talk. Or maybe Clowney simply is the third-best player in a league full of stars (nine of the top 25 are from the SEC).

Oklahoma defensive coordinator Mike Stoops says Manziel is the best he has ever seen at the position. Alabama coach Nick Saban says he’s a fantastic player, and “I’m not sure you stop a guy like that.” The only issue now for Texas A&M: Does Manziel eventually stop himself with his off-field antics?

USC coach Lane Kiffin says he has considered playing Lee on defense, too (at cornerback), and will likely use him in Wildcat formations on offense. Just get the ball in his hands and watch the magic unfold.

A fantastic player, but No.1 overall? Not close. While everyone goes ga-ga over Clowney’s big hit in the Outback Bowl, they forget the rest of the game—where Michigan OT Taylor Lewan (see below) dominated Clowney for much of the game.

Urban Meyer says Miller is the best athlete he has ever coached. He’ll need all of that this fall: The Buckeyes aren’t playing with house money anymore. Miller will be Manziel’s top competition for the Heisman Trophy if he becomes more proficient in the passing game.

Barr could have left for the NFL after last season and been a top 15 pick. And he has only played on defense one season. The former F-Back (tailback, tight end, wideout) has become a disruptive force off the edge.

He’s 25-2 as a starter, and since a home loss against LSU in the 2011 season, his touchdown to interception ratio is an unthinkable 36-to-4. Can win his fourth BCS National Championship ring (he won one while redshirting in 2009) this fall.

He was Alabama’s backup tailback last fall, and still rushed for more than 1,100 yards. Watch what happens when he receives a majority of the carries: He’ll have a bigger season than the three star tailbacks before him (Mark Ingram, Trent Richardson, Eddie Lacy).

Luke Joeckel was a top 5 NFL Draft pick, and some coaches in the SEC think Matthews is more versatile. He moves to left tackle this fall, and can greatly improve his draft stock with a big season of protecting Manziel's blind side.

He’s not close to being a complete player, and already is one of the game’s most dangerous. He has gained (good) weight this offseason, and will be a more durable dual threat. If he makes the typical sophomore improvement, he’ll have a monster season.

Off-field troubles last year and nagging injuries—and the emergence of DeAndre Hopkins—made one of the game’s best players in 2011 a forgotten factor. Watch him explode again this fall with plenty of motivation (redemption, Clemson’s championship hopes, NFL money).